Part of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP), within the Outpatient domain, CAHs must report on the percentage of patients who left the emergency department before being seen. Reducing patient wait time in the ED helps improve access to care, increase capability to provide treatment, reduce ambulance refusals/diversions, reduce rushed treatment environments, reduce delays in medication administration, and reduce patient suffering.

Part of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP), within the Outpatient domain, CAHs must report on the average time patients spent in the emergency department before being sent home. Reducing the time patients remain in the emergency department (ED) can
improve access to treatment and increase quality of care, potentially improves access to care specific to the patient condition and increases the capability to provide additional treatment.

Part of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP), within the Outpatient domain, CAHs must report on the median number of minutes before outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack who needed specialized care were transferred to another hospital. The early use of primary angioplasty in patients with STEMI results in a significant reduction in mortality and morbidity. The earlier primary coronary intervention is provided, the more effective it is. Times to treatment in transfer patients undergoing primary PCI may influence the use of PCI as an intervention. Current recommendations support a door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less.

Part of the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP), within the Outpatient domain, CAHs must report on time-to-fibrinolytic therapy, which is a strong predictor of outcome in patients with AMI.